Judas Maccabæus, and the Jewish war of independence

Paperback | May 20, 2014

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ... knoll higher than the crest of Moriah, but commanded by the mountain south of it. The head of the Tyropceon was so broad that it formed a hollow theatre between the knoll of Millo and the upper city, and the houses which were built on the northern slope, and near the isthmus joining the upper city to the watershed, were arranged in a crescent-shape, and rose terrace above terrace opposite those on the southern hill. The water-supply of the city was extremely deficient. The great reservoirs of the Temple enclosure were probably already in existence, but several of the pools now found (especially to the west) date much later than Jewish times. Jerusalem could boast of only one spring--on the east--and that was outside the walls of the town. In this deficiency of water-supply we find another great drawback, which prevents us from regarding Jerusalem as the natural capital of Palestine. Shechem, with its beautiful gardens and its abundant springs, being in a central position and easily accessible, is more likely than is Jerusalem to be in the future the political centre of the country. The eastern ridge of Moriah was enclosed by the great fortress walls of Solomon, rising to a height of 150 feet of solid masonry; the stones of megalithic size, and ornamented with the broad draft distinctive of Phoenician work. The area within--partly rock, partly of earth banked up--was perhaps planted as it is now, and on the highest part of the ridge a platform was erected, ascended by steps, and surrounded The Temple. 113 by little chambers, with doors leading to the lower level without. A second platform, rather lower, existed on the east. The first was the sacred Altar Court, only entered by the priests; the second was the place of worship for the whole...